The Catechism in Questions & Answers

611. Who was the first Chief Apostle?

In 1881, Friedrich Krebs (1832-1905) from Braunschweig, Germany was called as an Apostle. After the death of Apostles Schwartz and Menkhoff, he assumed the leading function in the Church. The unity among the Apostles was a great concern to him. As of 1897, the Chief Apostle ministry began to emerge. Friedrich Krebs was the first Chief Apostle in the present-day sense.